Traversing roller



April 8 1924.'.- 1,489,298

H. C. ZIMMERMAN Tmvnsus ROLLER Filed Sept. 20. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j/// MMA April 1924, L '1,489,298

H. C. ZIMMERMAN TRAVERSING ROLLER Filed sept, 20, 1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 S11/vento@ HarrH E Zmmerman trates i eine.

TBAVERSTNG ROLLER.

Application tiled September 20, 1923. Serial No. 663,905;

(FELED UNDER THE ACT F MRCH 3, 1383, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

To all whom t muy concern:

Be it lrnovvn that l, l-lnnr-.r C. ZIMMER- Mmln', a Vcitizen of the United States, and resident of vFJashington, D. C., have invented an inproven'ient in rlraversing Rollers, of

which the following is a specilication.

rthe invention described herein may be use-d 'by the 'lovernmentl, or any of its otlicers or employees in prosecution or' Work for the Government, or hy any other person in the United States, Without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance With the act of March 3, 1833.

The subject or this invention is a gun carriage and the invention relates more specii'ically to the traversing rollers for the carriage axle.

rlhe primary object or" my invention is the provision or means for use with a gun cau riage axle which Will carry the moving `Weight when traversing and which by a slight deiection under the torce or' tiring permits a greater' bearing upon the axle than is customary in traverse so as t0 provide additional means for taking up the shock of recoil and preventing damage to the traversing and elevating mechanism.

A further object is the provision of such means which will permit ready traverse oi: the gun carriaee on a curved axle.

vWith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may he made Within the scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of i ly invention is illustrated in the accompanying dra-Wing in which:

Fig. 1 is a section through the axle housing, and

Fig. 2 is a section taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the axle and axle housing. With the trail shown in dotted lines; and Fig d is a rear elevation of the axle and housing.

Referring to the drawing by numerals and reference:

l have shown the usual gun carriage axle which may he an l-beam or round or of other suitable shape. The axle 10 slides 55 nin a liner 11 secured to the axle housing 1 2 and is connected to the trail '9 of the gun carriage. Journaled in the axle housing is a pin 13 which in the preferred embodiment et my invention serves as a supporting means for a plurality or rollers 111. The rollers 14 are mounted so as to pass through an opening 15 formed in the liner 11 and hear directly upon the top surface of the axle 10 and in traverse these rollers Ycarry the moving Weight. These rollers 14 are mounted upon the pin 13 so as to move relative to each other, their relative movement permitting ready traverse of the housing 12 upon the axle Where a curved axle such as shown in 3 and more specically describe-d in my co-pending application Ser. No. 663,908 tiled September 20, 1923, is employed.

A removable cover 16 may be provided for the axle housing to keep out dust and dirt. The rollers 14 in normal position support the asile housing in such manner that the liner 11 is spaced from the axle itself and so that sucient clearance is provided between the liner and the axle to permit ready traverse of the housing upon the axle. When the gun is fired, however, the pin 13 which is constructed ot material su'liiciently elastic to yield under the weight of the upper carriage with the torce of firing is deflected in such a manner as to bring the liner into Contact with the axle so as to provide a greater bearing surface for the housing upon the axle and in this manner to provide means whereby practically all the shocks of recoil may he transmitted directly to the gun carriage thus preventing possible damage to the elevating or traversing mechanisni.

When my invention is used with a curved axle the movement of the rollers relative to each other is such that the housing may he readily traversed upon the axle.

The construction of my device is such 100 that it may be readily dismounted for cleaning, the pin 13 being removable from the housing in which it is normally retained by a Cotter pin or a similar device vand the cover 16 being removable to permit ready access to the axle.

While I have preferred to use rollers in my device, it is obvious that any other suitable type of anti-friction mea-ns may be employed in their stead.

While l have described by invention as applied to a gun Carriage it is obvious that it is by no means restricted to such a use and that it might be employed with any other vehicle Where it is desired to trans mit any abnormal load entirely and directly to the axles.

claim:

l. In combination, an axle bent intermediate its length, a housing'for said axle, a liner in said housing, said liner provided with an opening, a plurality of rollers, adapted to pass through said opening and normally supporting said housing on said axle and having the same axis of rotation and movable relative to one another in various rates of speed when said housing is tra-versed on said axle, mounted in said housing, means connecting said rollers to said housing, said i ,eeaeea connecting means being adapted to be der leeted When an abnormal force is applied to said housing to bring said liner into coutact with said axle.

2. In combination, an axle bent intermediate its length, a housing for said axle, a liner in said housing, a plurality of rollers, normally support-ing said housing on said axle and holding said liner out of Contact With said axle and having the same axis of rotation and movable relative to one another at various rates of speed when said housing is traversed on said axle, mounted in said housing, means connecting said rollers to said housing adapted to be deflected `when an abnormal force is applied to said housing to bring said liner into Contact With said axle.

3, ln combination, an axle bent intermediA ate its length, a housing tor said axlea plu rality of rollers, adapted to support said housing on said axle and adapted to have the same axis of rotation and to move relative to one another at various rates of speed When said housing is traversed on said axle mounted in said housing, and means connecting said rollers With said housing.

HARRY C. ZMlilERli/IAN. 

